Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed Islamabad’s decision to withdraw from its T20 World Cup fixture against India, saying the government has taken a clear position on the February 15 match to be held in Sri Lanka. He described the choice as the result of careful assessment and called it appropriate, adding that sport should not be used for political purposes.
The government had earlier posted on X that Pakistan’s national side ‘‘shall not take the field’’ against India, without offering further explanation. The statement prompted a formal response from the International Cricket Council (ICC), which said selective participation contradicts the core principles of a global sporting event and urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to seek a mutually acceptable resolution.
The ICC said it has noted the government directive and is awaiting official communication from the PCB. The governing body stressed that ICC tournaments rely on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness, and warned that selective withdrawals undermine the spirit and sanctity of the competition. While acknowledging that national governments shape policy, the ICC argued the decision does not serve the interests of the global game or fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan, and urged consideration of potential long-term impacts on cricket domestically and internationally.
Relations between cricket administrators and governments have already been tested this cycle. PCB chairman and interior minister Mohsin Naqvi recently briefed Prime Minister Sharif on ICC developments after Bangladesh declined to send its team to India, citing alleged security concerns. The ICC rejected requests to move Bangladesh’s fixtures to Sri Lanka and, finding no credible security threat, replaced Bangladesh with Scotland. Scotland is the highest-ranked T20I side not originally qualified.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 runs from February 7 to March 8, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Pakistan are drawn in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA.
Pakistan have historically struggled against India in T20 World Cups, losing seven of eight encounters. In the most recent Asia Cup, India defeated Pakistan in all three meetings, including the final, with youngsters Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma producing notable performances; Tilak finished an unbeaten 69 in the title chase.
India squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2026:
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.
Pakistan squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2026:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.
